


Bricks and Bones

by YourPalYourBuddy



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Jason & Percy Brotp, One Shot, One Shot Collection, appreciate the pun in the title x, something to take into consideration, this is meant to be Jason's perspective with ptsd, wasn't sure what archive warning that was
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-13
Updated: 2016-12-13
Packaged: 2018-09-08 10:12:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8840596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YourPalYourBuddy/pseuds/YourPalYourBuddy
Summary: SmileSmileSmileI can’tSmileSmileJasonI can’t I can’t I can’t____________Jason's perspective after the events of Blood of Olympus have transpired.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Obligatory comment that I don't own these characters.  
> This was inspired by @cindersart on tumblr's comment about PTSD and the Percy Jackson universe.
> 
> I'm on tumblr: @ivecarvedawoodenheart, come say hi!

Smile

Smile

Smile

_ I can’t _

Smile

Smile

Jason

_ I can’t I can’t I can’t _

 

He wakes up shaking and instinctively ducks his head. His hands fly to cover his face as the darkness presses down on him, swirling around ever lower like spectres from Hades.

_ Dark _

_ Dark _

_ Dark _

He turns the light on.

There. No shadows out of the ordinary. His eyes throb in the sudden light; squinting, he fumbles a hand for his glasses.

_ But— _

The hair on the back of his neck rises suddenly. He pauses, listening, trusting senses Lupa honed.

_ Senses that have let me down _

No.

_ That have betrayed me _

No.

_ But I thought I saw _

He presses fingertips to his eyelids. When he opens them, he sighs. There’s no one else in the room. He glances upward briefly, then stares at his hands. No one other than the giant statue of Zeus.

And this, then; this too gives him pause. Zeus, not Jupiter. He looks back at the statue. Yes. Zeus. Not Jupiter.

And this, then; does a son of Jupiter become any less when he feels more Greek than Roman?

_ What am I? _

He racks his brain for memories that don’t come and he stifles a scream.

It’s fine

It’s fine

It’s fine

_ I can’t breathe _

It’s okay we’re fine it’s okay

He grabs his pillow and shouts into it, muffling the noise and hoping hoping hoping no one hears him and hoping hoping someone does, does anyone, someone  _ please _

“Jason?”

_ Jason? _ His right hand darts to snatch up his  _ gladius _ .

“Jason, are you in here?”

_ Jason. Yes, yes this is me. Jason. _

He puts down his pillow. “Over here,” he says, his voice rasping out of his throat. He swallows quickly. “Here,” he says again. This time he thinks his voice might pass as normal. He doesn’t turn around.

The mattress dips, and sea salt floods the air. He frowns, puzzled. He doesn’t turn around.

“Jason?” Percy’s voice is low, soothing. “Jason, will you look at me?”

He does. The other boy’s face is greyer than usual; purple shadows lurk just under his eyes, and there’s a crease between his eyebrows that hasn’t gone away since Tartarus. His hair reaches for the ceiling on one side, is pressed flat on the other.

“You look terrible,” he comments.

Percy smiles wryly. “As do you.”

They are quiet.

Say something

Say something

A joke

_ I can’t _

Speak

“At least I’m still better-looking,” he tries, but he can’t give the comment life. It falls to the floor between their feet while Jupiter stares.

_ Zeus. _

“Why are you here?” he mutters next. He addresses this question to Percy’s big toe.

“I thought you’d want lunch,” Percy replies, and the careful tone of those words make him look up. Percy looks at him sideways, casual but for the slight narrowing of his eyes.

“It’s lunchtime?”

Percy tilts his head from side to side. “Well, no,” he admits. “It’s three in the afternoon.”

He bolts to his feet. “It is?”

_ I’m losing time again so much of it  _

_ How old am I? _

“Don’t worry,” Percy says softly. “Please, Jason. Don’t worry. It’s still the same year. You haven’t lost any more time.”

He stares. “How did you know—?” He pauses, breathes. “How did you know that’s what I was worrying about?”

“Because,” Percy says simply. “Hera took me too. I have similar dreams to you, I think.”

Don’t think about the dreams

Jasonjasonjason

It’s fine we’re okay don’t worry don’t worry

_ Worry worry worry worry _

No. Don’t.

He rubs his eyes and sighs again. “There’s too much happening in my head.”

_ Too much too much too much too much _

No.

He sighs again.

Percy reaches out awkwardly, feinting towards his hand and then deciding instead to pat his shoulder.

He closes his eyes.

“How?” he asks abruptly. Percy’s motion stops, waiting.

“How what?”

“How are you so together?”

For a moment, he hears nothing.

_ Going deaf falling asleep wakeupwakeupwakeup _

No.

He faces Percy.

Percy is laughing, laughing quietly while tears stream down his face. Laughing quietly while crying, crying and sobbing, sobbing and falling to pieces. He freezes, unsure of what to do; he’s never seen Percy like this.

Don’t cry

Don’t

_ I _

_ I _

Percy pulls him into a huge hug, a crashing hug like the waves embracing the shore. Like a thunderclap.

He sniffles and is immediately embarrassed— _ no son of Jupiter and no son of Zeus either at least that’s settled _ —but Percy only pulls him tighter.

“How am I so together?” Percy mumbles, the crying twisting his words and carving them raw. “I’m not, Jason. No one is, no one’s together. Have I told you I’m terrified of water? Son of Poseidon, hydrophobic. That’ll make family reunions awkward, let me tell you—”

“Percy,” he interrupts quietly. Percy clutches at his back. “I can help you with the swimming, if you want.”

Percy’s grip somehow increases tenfold. “Jason. Stop being so—so Mr. Fixit for ten minutes, okay? And hear me, please, if you can. I’m saying—I’m trying to say—you aren’t alone. It feels like it—gods, it feels like it—but you aren’t. You have at least the seven of us going through similar things. Most certainly more than just the seven of us.”

He feels Percy adjust, a chin settling onto his shoulder. “It can’t help, can it,” Percy muses, “that you’re stuck in here with just this statue.” Pause. “Hmm.”

“What?” he croaks.

Pause. “Chiron would give permission, I think.”

“For what?”

_ Too slow _

_ You’re too slow he’s already said _

_ One too many bricks to the head _

_ Too slow _

No.

“I’m thinking…maybe we could build a cabin.”

Pause. “Are you asking me to move in with you?”

Percy snorts, then considers, drawing back to face him. “I mean, technically, I am, yes. Yes. I am. Jason Grace,” Percy says, his face going mock solemn, “will you move in with me?”

Jason smiles slightly. “Only if I get to pick the colors. And”—a sudden panic, a sudden shadow, a sudden sudden  _ no no I’m finefinefine _ —“and there are lots of windows. And lights. And nightlights.”

Percy nods, his face serious. “Of course,” he says earnestly. “Whatever you need.”

“And you as well,” Jason reminds him.

Percy nods again tiredly. Tear tracks shine softly on his cheeks.

Jason cleans off his glasses.

They breathe, slowly, steadily.

_ We’ll be okay. _

“You should ask Annabeth if she’ll design it,” Jason says.

“I will,” Percy says, and his mouth quirks into a familiar half-smile. Sadder though, than usual; but not, Jason thinks, the saddest. Not the saddest he’s seen.

Percy opens his mouth as if to speak again but instead nods again, snapping his fingers and clapping his hands together. He turns to go.

“Wait,” Jason says. Percy pauses, turning around.

_ Stay in here _

_ It’s quiet in here _

_ You don’t need people _

_ You don’t _

_ Don’t don’t don’tdon’tdon’t _

No.

He pauses, takes a shuddering breath. Exhales.

Jason says, “Wait. I’m coming with you.”


End file.
